For a short period starting next month, anime cafe Anion Station will be celebrating the new season of Sailor Moon Crystal with another round of drinks and desserts, this time in honor of Sailor Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto!
Osaka (Page 26)
It’s Cosplay time as the Nipponbashi Street Festival hits Osaka (and Twitter) again this year!
Osaka police recently uncovered a booming mail-order business servicing the entire nation with pornographic DVDs which lacked the legally required pixellation over actors’ genitalia.
Take an inside peek into the production process of Pocky, the beloved Japanese snack which has found its way into supermarkets around the world.
The whisky distiller, famous for upstaging Scottish standbys to be crowned “Best Whisky in the World” in 2014, recently renovated their open-to-the-public facilities. We figured it was as good an excuse as any for a tour and tasting!
It’s a modern-day sheath made in honour of the samurai known as the “Crimson Demon of War”.
The Sailor Moon girls are bringing their gorgeous meals and treats to Osaka for the very first time.
Osaka once housed this modern walled neighborhood, presumably constructed to keep attacking Titans out. Or are we missing something here?
A new cafe for female otaku in Osaka says neither boys nor normies are allowed. Naturally, we had to check it out for ourselves!
Live out your fantasies of love-making in Japan’s bygone eras at this unusual love hotel in Osaka.
Coming to Japan and dressing up like a geisha is a bit like going to the USA and dressing up as a confederate soldier. Sure it’s fun, but it doesn’t really reflect modern society. What you need to feel the Japan of today is leopard print…and lots of it!
Japan’s Fuji TV recently branded the majority of Osakans as people who love putting raw egg into coffee. Not wanting to be left out, we gave it a try.
Gudetama, the charmingly unmotivated raw egg character from Sanrio, is the star of the menu at his very own cafe in Osaka.
20 mouth-watering reasons to check in early for your flight.
Tsurumi Ward in Osaka has been the scene of a crime wave since November 3 in which two young boys believed to be in the fifth or sixth grade have stolen cash and property from six separate homes so far. The suspects are still at large, unless class is in session.
In Japan, takoyaki (somewhat unappealingly translated as “octopus balls”) is known as “B-Class Gourmet” food. Takoyaki is the domain of sometimes shady street vendors and national chains where there are literally no chairs whatsoever on the premises. They’re meant to be consumed while still blazing hot, fresh off the special cratered griddle used to make them, chewed and swallowed at lightning speed while you suck in air to make them just cool enough that they don’t burn a hole in your esophagus on the way down.
Therefore, takoyaki is not, one would think, within the purview of the Michelin tire company’s prestigious Michelin Guide for world-renowned restaurants. But, surprisingly, the 2016 Michelin Guide contains not just one but several restaurants specializing in takoyaki, okonomiyaki, and other “B-Class Gourmet” foods famous around Osaka and the Kansai area.
One of those featured restaurants, Aizuya, is, it turns out, actually rumored to be the restaurant that flat-out invented takoyaki. And since that sounds like a good premise for an article, and gives us an excuse to stuff our faces with this delicious local street food, we went to check it out.
If you’re walking into a branch of KFC, it’s a pretty safe bet that you’re there to eat fried chicken. You could even argue that the whole process of ordering is partially redundant, since the question isn’t whether you want some of the Colonel’s deep-fried bird, but simply how much.
And if your answer to that query is “All of it,” then head on over to Osaka, where the first all-you-can-eat Kentucky Fried Chicken buffet is about to open.
Japanese vending machines are a great example of the culture of convenience so prevalent in Japan. Whether you’re after orange juice that looks like soy sauce, or a hot, clam-packed miso soup to cure your hangover, if you want something fast, the nation’s vending machines will be there for you, come rain or shine.
Now one of the country’s largest drinks manufacturers, DyDo, is catering to customers who actually do find themselves caught out in the rain, with a free “rental umbrella” service attached to a number of their machines in Nishi Ward, Osaka.
In Japan, some of the most prized types of sushi are loved by gourmets for their rich flavor. High-quality uni (sea urchin) is decadently creamy, and the premium cuts of tuna are those with extra fat.
But this chain of restaurants in Japan might be offering the richest sushi ever, since the pieces have a pat of butter on them!
Despite the famous “Gotta catch ‘em all!” tagline, Pokémon trainers don’t spend every moment of their adventures traipsing through the underbrush searching for new Pocket Monster species. Part of the process of becoming a Pokémon Master is making a pilgrimage to gyms where trainers can strengthen their skills and bonds with their adorable biological arsenal.
Until now, the only places to find these gyms were within the video games and anime of the Pokémon franchise, but next month marks the opening of the first official Pokémon gym in Japan, where fans can meet and train with a variety of Pokémon in interactive and augmented reality attractions.
MOST POPULAR
Today
How to watch Studio Ghibli’s new anime in Japan, with a special after-dark outdoor screening for Halloween
Family Mart releases 47 convenience store socks and stickers, one for every prefecture in Japan
New Shinkansen platform vending machine sells local-flavor treats from 127-year-old snack maker
Megadeth guitarist becomes voice of reason regarding tourists dancing at shrine in Japan
Japan’s Suica Penguin character is “graduating”, and you can choose its successor
We tried Japan’s Wobbly Beer Glass that forces you to drink water, and it humbled us
Tokyo’s Rikugien Garden announces nighttime foliage illumination event ahead of autumn
Japanese restaurant chain offering free food for a year if you beat massive meat bowl challenge
Legendary Pokémon statues installed in downtown Tokyo, will be there through the fall
Anime magical girls grow to gigantic size with new Madoka Magica plushies [Photos]
Weekly
Kyoto temple bans visitors from wearing kimono
Lego PlayStation recreates Sony’s original console, makes unusual choice for games to salute- Family Mart releases 47 convenience store socks and stickers, one for every prefecture in Japan
- Japan’s Suica Penguin character is “graduating”, and you can choose its successor
Tokyo ward looking to change lodging laws, ban more than half of its Airbnb-style rentals- Megadeth guitarist becomes voice of reason regarding tourists dancing at shrine in Japan
- How to watch Studio Ghibli’s new anime in Japan, with a special after-dark outdoor screening for Halloween
Mister Donut releases new sweet potato doughnuts in Japan, and we’ve ranked them from best to worst
New Pokémon anniversary song is 22 minutes long, features all 1,025 Pokémon species [Video]
New Transforming Business Card case brings anime mecha to Japanese work meetings
Monthly
12-year-old British girl who went missing in Tokyo found safe after visiting anime sites around Yokohama
7-year-old boy left behind on Mt. Fuji by his own dad
Japan’s final Penguin Suica train cards have already shipped, and when they’re gone, they’re gone
Sushi Bus: Japan’s first conveyor-belt bus lets you eat sushi while sightseeing around Tokyo
Studio Ghibli unveils new anime calendars and diary planners for 2027
Study finds hundreds of people in Indonesia legally named after Naruto, Inuyasha, other anime stars
Japan approves foreign resident visa renewal fee increases of up to 967 percent, starts soon
Japan tripled its departure tax to fund tourism but is using the money on cherry blossoms and bears
Solo travel in Japan: Hidden beer garden in Tokyo is a haven for single visitors- Kyoto temple bans visitors from wearing kimono
Yearly
Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Tokyo subway installing new ticket gates that don’t accept payment through Suica or other IC cards
Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
Salomon releases Japan-exclusive Mt. Fuji hiking gear that doubles as an amazing souvenir
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
RECOMMENDED STORIES
We tried Japan’s Wobbly Beer Glass that forces you to drink water, and it humbled us
Tokyo’s Rikugien Garden announces nighttime foliage illumination event ahead of autumn
Japanese restaurant chain offering free food for a year if you beat massive meat bowl challenge
Legendary Pokémon statues installed in downtown Tokyo, will be there through the fall
Anime magical girls grow to gigantic size with new Madoka Magica plushies [Photos]
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time’s remake can be played with an actual ocarina [Video]
Japan’s 20-year Ig Nobel winning streak continues thanks to people blowing their noses
Starbucks Japan unveils new Chilled Cup drinks for autumn
Mister Donut releases new sweet potato doughnuts in Japan, and we’ve ranked them from best to worst
New Japanese ice cream is Ballin, in more ways than one
Eel sauce is our new favorite cooking hack for making any dish sweet and savory with zero hassle
Converse Japan releases green tea cup sneakers so you can wear your love for sushi on your feet
New Transforming Business Card case brings anime mecha to Japanese work meetings
Tokyo ward looking to change lodging laws, ban more than half of its Airbnb-style rentals
-
